The International Law and Human Rights Program prepares this update on International Justice for informational purposes only. Any opinions expressed in articles contained in this update are not necessarily endorsed by PGA or any individual/s associated with PGA; nor does PGA or any individual/s associated with PGA vouch for the accuracy of the contents of these articles.
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Belgium
On 23 December 2025, Belgium filed a declaration of intervention at the International Court of Justice in South Africa's genocide case against Israel under the Genocide Convention.
On 22 December 2025, Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office brought charges against Fahad A., a former guard at a Syrian secret service prison in Damascus, for crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and deprivation of liberty.
On 16 December 2025, Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab reported that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces have destroyed evidence of mass killings in el-Fasher after taking control of the North Darfur city on 26 October 2025.
On 18 December 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on two more International Criminal Court judges for their involvement in the ICC's investigation of alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. The ICC strongly opposed the sanctions, calling them a "flagrant attack" on judicial independence and undermining the Court's ability to function impartially.
On 22 December 2025, scholars published an analysis of Iran's Draft Bill on International Crimes, which seeks to incorporate genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression into Iranian domestic legislation.
On 29 December 2025, President Vladimir Putin signed legislation exempting Russia from enforcing criminal rulings issued by foreign courts or international judicial bodies to which it is not a party.
On 20 December 2025, the International Court of Justice announced that public hearings in the case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya minority will take place from 12 to 29 January 2026.
On 1 December 2025, Human Rights Watch warned that the International Criminal Court's justice mandate is at serious risk. Amnesty International urged ICC member states at the Assembly of States Parties to firmly oppose sanctions, defend the Court's independence, and protect its ability to pursue accountability. Meanwhile, Judge Tomoko Akane, President of the ICC, stated, “We never accept any kind of pressure.”
On 2 December 2025, Libyan national Mr. Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri was surrendered to the International Criminal Court following his arrest in Germany in July 2025. He is accused of committing or overseeing crimes against humanity and war crimes from February 2015 to early 2020. Civil society organizations welcomed Germany's cooperation, which marks the first time a suspect of international crimes committed in Libya has been brought before the Court since the Libya investigation opened in 2011. On 3 December 2025, El Hishri requested his release.
On 3 December 2025, The Guardian reported whistleblower allegations that the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office censored a risk assessment warning that atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region may amount to genocide, raising concerns about political reasons downplaying risks.
On 3 December 2025, FIDH and REDRESS launched a briefing paper highlighting the importance of the International Criminal Court holding powerful individuals accountable, emphasizing that personal immunities should not impede cooperation with the Court.
On 5 December 2025, International Criminal Court prosecutors asserted that arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and five other Russians for alleged war crimes in Ukraine will remain valid even if a U.S.-led peace deal includes a blanket amnesty.
On 13 December 2025, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary‑General, condemned deadly drone attacks on Bangladeshi peacekeepers in southern Sudan, warning that they may constitute war crimes.
On 12 December 2025, Venezuela's National Assembly voted to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. This decision follows ongoing ICC investigations into President Nicolas Maduro's government for crimes against humanity.
On 9 December 2025, International Criminal Court judges sentenced former Janjaweed commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (Ali Kushayb) to 20 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sudan's Darfur region between August 2003 and April 2004.
On 12 December 2025, the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties announced that the fact-finding report by the Office of Internal Oversight Services regarding alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor was received and has been forwarded to a panel of judicial experts.
On 15 December 2025, the International Criminal Court's Appeals Chamber denied Israel's challenge to block the Court's investigation into alleged war crimes committed during the Gaza conflict, allowing the investigation to continue.
